Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• piscaria Gerne, pisc' de Gerne, Gerna 1156–1204 P Hy2 Ch 1268 Cur Ric1 ClR 1218 Ch 1292

• Gerna milne 1255 FF

• Garne 1276 RH

• pons Garne, molend' de Garne 1287 Ass

• Garne mullne 1420 MinAcct

• le Garnewer 1433 ib

• Garnewood c.1560 Surv

Etymology

Garn (lost), piscaria Gerne , pisc ' de Gerne , Gerna 1156–1204 P (freq ), Hy 2 (1268) Ch, Ric 1 Cur, 1218 ClRfreq to 1292 Ch, Gerna milne 1255FF , Garne 1276 RH, pons Garne , molend ' de Garne 1287Ass , Garne mullne 1420MinAcct , le Garnewer 1433 ib, Garnewood c. 1560Surv . The origin of this name of a fishery in the Severn is uncertain. It might possibly be from OE  giren or geren (Vespasian Psalter), which Ekwall, Studies 154, regards as metathesised variants of the etymologically obscure OE  grin 'snare' and supposes to denote 'a place where fish were caught by snaring or a place with a trap or weir with a device for catching fish'. But we may have Welsh  carn 'heap of stones' (y garn with lenition of c - to g - after the article); Hawecumbre (208 infra ) of similar meaning also denoted a fishery.